Car coupling



Mm a INVENTOR 3 Sheets-Sheet l D. ROBINSON CAR COUPLING Filed Dec. 20, 1924 Aug. 7, 1928.

Aug. 7,1928. 1,680,115 D. ROBINSON CAR COUPLING Filed Dec-20, 1924 s Sheets-Shet 2 lNVENT OR D. ROBINSON CAR COUPLING Ailg. 7, 1928.

Filed Dec. 20, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTQR M T W teens rice.

Devin nonr'nson, or onnvnnnnnfoiifo, assrenon 'ro na'rionan MALLEABLE AND STEEL oas'rrnes Germany, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A coaroaarron or 01110.

on. ooornrne.

7 Application filed December 20,1924. Serial 1T0. 757,225;

; My inventionrelates to car couplings, and particularly to couplings used for mine cars. Nearly all mine cars are equipped at the present time with link and pin couplings and, as it is the practice not to turnthe cars end for end, the coupling heads are so arranged that the coupling on one endof each car carries a link and the othercoupling does not, so thatthe coupling with the link is always opposed by a coupling without a link.- As such couplings arenon-automatic, it is necessary to raise the coupling pin by hand, and sometimes to guide "thelink into the pocket, and then drop the pin. This,

" obviously, is a dangerous proceeding and occasions frequent in ury to the car operators.

i 'The present invention obviates theseobjections by providing for automatic coupling and for manual uncoupling which may be eifected through an ordinary uncoupling rod connection. "My invention also com-- prises'the various features whichI shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Fig. 1 is a section showing a pair of couplings embody-ing my "invention with 'the parts in locked position; Fig. 2 is a section of the operating coupler head similarto Fig.

1, but with the parts infuncoupled position, the entering link being just about to strike thetrigger which supports the coupling pin in uncoupled position; Fig. 3' is a plan of thelink head, partly in section; Fig.4 is an elevation thereof; Fig. 5 is a plan of. the link; and Fig. 6 is a plan, partly in section, of the operating head. 1 r i Referring to the drawings, A indicates the link coupler-head, and B the operating coupler-headn The link head A has a pocket 2, in which alink 3 is permanently and pivot ally mounted on. the vertically disposed pivot'pin 4. The link 3 has apertures 3 for the pin 4, and 3 for the pin 14, and is able to swing laterally about the. pin 4 through an arc of approximately 180, since the mouth 5 of the pocket extends not only across the front of the head A but also a distance along each side thereof, so as to permit the link 8 to be swung substantially at right angles tothe line ofdraft to prevent it from project ng out of the link head when run ontoa mine elevator, as otherwisethe overall length of the car might be too great 7 for the elevator. The link 3 can also tip up and down within the limits provided by the diverging top and bottom walls 6 and 7 of the pocket2, which permit asubstantial degree of vertical angling of the link 3 to take care of track conditions or variations in the heights of the couplings. i

The rear surface 8 of the link is preferably arc-shaped, and is engaged by the correspondingly shaped forward face 9 of the spring plunger 10, which is mountedzin the throat 11 of the link head A. The plunger '10 is always kept in contact with the rear face 8 of the link 3 and so holds the link 3 in a horizontal position ready for coupling, and tends to return it to such position when coupled after vertical angling.

The operating head B is of the same general shape as the head A. It has a-pocket 12, a locking pin 14, and a mouth15 for the pocket, which, however, does not extend into the sidewalls of the head. It has also diverging top and bottom walls 16 and 17 which permit the samedegree of vertical angling as do the corresponding walls in the head A.

The lockingor coupling pin 14 is loosely mounted in the guides 18 in the top and bottom walls of the pocket 12, and is pivotally connected to trigger mechanism 19 by a pin 14. The trigger 19 preferably has a pair of laterally extending trunnions 2O intermediate its ends which seat in longitudinal slots or grooves 21 in an upward extension 22of thehead. The grooves 21 have an intermediate hump 23 and terminate at their for ward ends in the recesses 24. At the forward end of the trigger. 19, and preferably forward of its pivotal connection with the pin 14, is a clevis 25 or other means for the attachment of the uncoupling mechanism by which the trigger 19 and pin 14 may be lifted.v

To uncouple, the trigger 19 and pin 14 are raised by the clevis 25 until the bottom of the pin 14 has cleared the aperture 3 in the link 3. as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Meanwhile, as the trigger is lifted .the link 3, as it is-held in alignment with its in guiding it into the pocket. As is shown in Fig.-2, as the link 3 enters the pocket its forward end strikes the free end l9 of the triggerli) and pushes it rearwardly, thus causing the trunnions to ride up out ofthe recesses'24 and over the humps 23 and drop down the inclines on} the. rear sides of the hump, and thus allow the trigger 19 to drop down into lowermost position and with it the coupling pin 14:. i

In bufii'ng, the shape of the openings 3 and 3" inthe link 3 for-the pins 4- and 14 permits the linkto move a sufiicient distance into eachhead tthe movement into the link head. A being-against the resistance of the spring plunger 10) to bring" the forward faces of the heads A andB into butling engagement.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I haveno intention, in the use of'suclr terms andexpressions, of; excluding any mechanical i equivalents of the features shown: and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that vari ous structural modifications are possible Within the scope of? the inventionclaimed.

What I -claiin is: i A- linkand pincoupler having a centrally disposed, horizontal pocket; a verti- Cally movable coupling pin intendedlto-em gage alink in said" pocket; and" supporting means pivotally connected to the pin and arrangec lto hold' the pin in uncoupled: position, said' -ineans engaging one portion: of the coupler head 111 coupled posit-ion and another portion-in uneoupledposition; said 'portionsb'eing SGPa-IELtGCl'IbY an intermediate raised portion, whereby accidental tripping of said supporting means is prevented! 2. A link and coupler havinga centrally disposed, horizontal'pocketij in combination with. acoupling link, attached to another coupler, adapted to be inserted into said pocket; a vertically movable coupling pinw arranged, to engage and be disengaged from said link; and a member for moving erated pin. pivotally connected to; the supporting member; the coupler having'a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves in itslheadi engaged bythe supporting member thelsupporting; member being arranged to horizontally extending permit the pin to be moved automatically tononsupportingposition. a at. A'link. and p1n coupler havinga centrally disposed horizontal!pocket; a: ver-- tically movable coupling pin intended to engage link ingsaid pocket, a; supporting member pivotally connected to the, pin on a fixed axis forming ailink in, the pin op erat'ing mechanism ancL compris-ing; means for supporting the pin in uncoupled position, the supporting Inemberhaving afloating fulcrum eng a s ;ement With'fthe; coupler head; whereby; the supporting member is movable;- from E supporting to norrsupporting position With. respectto the pin.

5.. A link andppin coupler havinga cen- V trally. disposed, horizontally extending pocket: fOlrlGtfiPlllOll of a coupling link;- a pin supporting-j member-3 a vertically. operated pin prvotally connected to. the supporting member; the couplen having arplurality" of longitudinally extending groovesiin its head engaged-by: the, supporting member; the sup,-

porting member engaging'one portion ofthe grooves to, hold the; pin, in uncoupled positlon and": another portion in coupled: position. v

DAVID ROBIN-SON. 

